The invention concerns a safety system associated with a handgun comprising an electronic device with a timer.
The special field of application of the handgun according to the invention (short gun or long gun) concerns in particular sporting guns.
Handguns have in principle a barrel. Hunting rifles can have a total of four barrels.
At the rearward end of the barrel there is a cartridge chamber for receiving a cartridge. Each barrel has correlated therewith a lock. This lock has a hammer which is tensioned against the force of a spring. By actuating the trigger, the hammer can be released so that, as a result of the spring force, it will accelerate forwardly and actuate the firing pin and thus fire the cartridge. In addition to hand-actuated locks, there are also so-called self-cocking locks.
The problem with handguns is their safety or lack thereof with regard to improper, in particular, unauthorized use. For example, sporting guns are sometimes not used for months or even years. But they are still operative.
DE 44 13 685 A1 discloses a securing device for hunting and sporting guns of the aforementioned kind. For this purpose, a timing relay is provided which, by means of a reversing lever, for example, the safety lever of the gun, or by the cocking lever can be actuated. After the pre-adjusted time has elapsed, various safety and alert functions are triggered. For example, after the time period has elapsed, a decocking device may be actuated so that the weapon is set on safety or is decocked. Also, it is possible to provide a visual or acoustic signal after the time period has elapsed.
Based on this, the object of the invention is to provide a handgun of the aforementioned kind with improved safety.